


Punk's Just Sleeping

by TJS



Series: Starlight Possibility [1]
Category: HuGっと！プリキュア | Hug tto! Precure
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 14:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16914645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TJS/pseuds/TJS
Summary: Plans for a Precure Pajama Party 2.0 go haywire, but they say when one door closes another opens...





	Punk's Just Sleeping

"...And...there, done!" Harry carefully placed the last sprig of mint on the last of the five sorbets. "Heh, I bet they'll be surprised when I welcome them with one of my patented Hariham Harry specials...Sweet and Sour Surprise Sorbet!" He smoothly slid out the five sorbets onto the counter, complete with personalized bowls for each of the five girls. "They should be arriving any minute now..."

As soon as he'd finished his sentence, the doorknob turned and the door slowly creaked open as Homare entered...conspicuously alone. "Hey, I'm here."

Harry visibly deflated a little upon seeing _just_ Homare with none of the others in tow. "...Eh? Wh...where's the rest?"

"Oh, no one called ahead? Yeah, somehow everyone else caught a cold. Ruru's taking care of them." She shrugged. "What, aren't you happy to see me?"

"How did they _all_ catch a cold at the same time?! That's astronomically unlikely!!" Harry buried his face in his hands and groaned. "And after I prepared enough of everything for five, too..."

Homare cracked a bit of a smile as she slid her bag off her shoulders and onto the couch. "Would you expect any less ridiculously coincidental stupidity from our little motley crew?"

"Heh...I guess not. Still, I'm glad at least one of you made it...and really, of all the ones it coulda been, I'm glad it was you."

A blush crept up in Homare's cheeks, and her cowlick comedically scrunched up into a lightning bolt shape. "H-Hah? Wh-what's that supposed to mean, mouse??"

"I'm not a mouse! I'm Harry! Hariham Harry! How long can you guys keep that joke going, really?!" Harry exasperatedly sighed and ran a hand over his face. "...It's 'cause you're the easiest one for me to talk to, is all."

Homare's heart thudded painfully against her ribcage, and her smile faltered. The events inside the Wild Oshimaida were still fresh in her mind, and something deep inside her whispered that it was stupid of her to have come here alone, that it was only going to hurt her more being near him after what she'd learned in the dream world, that it was only a matter of time before she relapsed into depression from the pain becoming too much to bear...

"Hey, Homare." Harry snapped his fingers right in front of her face, snapping her out of her trance. "You all right? You zoned out for a sec and wouldn't respond."

Homare blinked and thought very carefully before answering. "...No, honestly. I'm not all right. But it's not something I'm ready to talk about yet." She averted her eyes. "...Give me time, okay? I feel the same way about you...you're probably the easiest one for me to talk to out of this dysfunctional little family...but even still, this isn't easy for me to talk about."

"...Heh, you've gotten a lot more honest, Homare. When we first met, all you'd do was say 'I'm fine' and close yourself off...but now here you are, actually opening up a little. How sweet~"

Homare's eyes snapped back to his, her brows knitted and cheeks puffed out in a pout. "I am _not_ sweet!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say~ Hey, look, I made some sorbets. Why don't you get changed and I'll try and get yours a bit frozen again?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Homare dug in her bag for her pajamas and headed for the changing booth. After a silent few seconds of shedding her shoes, socks, and skirt, Homare very nearly jumped out of her skin as Harry's voice came from outside the booth.

"You're pretty tall for your age, aren't you?"

Homare cried out in surprise, nearly cracking her head on the corner of a mirror as she jumped back away from the door. "Wh-What the _hell_ , Harry?! You can't just sneak up on a changing girl like that!"

"S-Sorry, sorry...but you seem really tense, so I figured some small talk would help..."

Homare took a moment to catch and steady her breathing before taking off her sweater vest. "...163."

"Eh?"

"I'm 163 centimeters. So yeah, I'm really tall for my age." Homare began to undo the buttons on her shirt. "Puberty kinda hit me like a freight train, really. I've been growing like a weed for a while...really kills my knees sometimes. And I'm not done growing yet by a long shot...I'll probably wind up around 175, 178...somewhere in that range."

"You probably really stand out at school, then..."

"Oh, definitely." Homare slides her shirt off. "Not just for my height, though. My figure gets me a lot of eyes, so I try to wear loose clothes to avoid the stares."

"Guess that makes sense. You don't seem like someone who'd be a fan of that sort of stuff. I won't tell you what to do, but I think it might be worth going without the hoodie or the sweater-vest once in a while, see what happens."

Homare's fingers hesitated on the clasp of her bra before deciding to take it off, as well. All this talk of her body and figure were making her oddly self-conscious. "Y-Yeah? Maybe I should. I'll consider it..." She slipped into the yellow tank top she'd brought, worried it might show off _too_ much...not that she had much to show off to start with, compared to Saaya or Ruru...gah, why was she worrying so much about it? "...Ah...I've put on a little muscle..." Homare traced her fingers over the slight swell of her bicep. "Guess that swimming I've been doing has been good for something after all..."

"Really, now? I guess it's no surprise since you're working out so much. You almost done in there?"

"A-Ah, right." Homare scrambled for her white shorts and put them on. _Ugh, I'm feeling really exposed...why did I pack this for my pajamas? I had plenty of other T-shirts and such I could wear while my normal ones are in the wash...gahhh, whatever..._ "...I'm coming out now...d-don't laugh or anything, okay?" With that, Homare opened the door and stepped out.

"Ah, about ti--" As soon as Harry's eyes fell on Homare, he abruptly fell silent and just...looked at her for a few moments.

"...Wh-what? I-If you've got something to say, just spit it out." Homare crossed an arm over her chest self-consciously.

"...You look good, Homare." Those words caused Homare's heart to jump into her throat and skip a half a dozen beats or so. "Clothes like those suit you well...but won't you be cold?"

"O-Oh, no, probably not. It's summer, after all...the nights get kinda warm." Her arm slowly fell away from her chest as she turned her gaze forward. "S-So, what about that sorbet?"

"Ah, right, that. We should probably let it freeze up for a bit longer. Anything you feel like doing in the meantime?"

Homare took a deep breath and rolled her neck. "...Why don't we just...talk?"

"Talk? Well, I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea. Lemme make sure the kid's still sleeping."

"A-Ah, Right. I'll be on the couch." Homare walked over to where she'd lain her bag, glancing over to make sure Harry's back was turned before allowing herself a momentary mental collapse. Just for a few seconds, she opened the floodgates to... _everything_. Every ounce of pain and negativity and self-loathing she'd been feeling...she let it wash over her, bury her, choke her, drown her...let a few silent tears roll down her cheeks...and then envisioned herself grabbing all those feelings and shoving them aside. They weren't going to get in the way of this...she wouldn't let them.

Ah, come to think of it, it was about time for her meds. She brushed the tears from her cheeks and sat down on the couch, unzipping the pocket of her bag where she kept her pill planner...

But it wasn't there. Instantly, Homare's mind flew into a panic. _Son of a bitch...!_ Her hands frantically dug through the many pockets of the duffel bag, tunnel vision encroaching as her blood turned to ice, sweat broke out on her brow, and her breathing grew irregular. _Where is it? Where is it?! I always keep it in here...! How long have I been missing it...? I didn't take it out at home, so that means I...oh, god, I didn't take my meds earlier...crap, crap, crap, I feel like the world's falling apart...please, please, where a--_

"Homare." Harry's voice and the familiar sound of pills rattling against plastic immediately snapped her back to reality hard enough to give her whiplash. "Looking for this? You left it in the bathroom this morning."

Homare slowly turned her head a bit and shakily took the pill planner from Harry, securely wrapping her hand around it as if to assure her panicked mind and heart that yes, it was here, she had it, everything was okay. After an awkward pause, Homare managed to force a "Thank you" out of her swollen throat and dry mouth before popping the planner open and taking the dose she was due.

Harry sat on the couch with her, keeping his distance for now as she came down from her panic attack. "...I won't make you talk about it if you don't want to, but I don't think you should hide it from the team. It's not a bad thing to admit you need help."

As the moisture returned to her mouth and her throat opened up again, Homare took a moment to reply. "...It's not that I'm ashamed of it. I just can't find a good time to talk about it. You can't really just come into a happy conversation and talk about your struggles with depression." Homare hugged her knees to her chest and clasped her right wrist with her left hand, idly running her thumb over the inside of her wrist. "...There's no way to make it pleasant."

"...Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry, I don't mean to pressure you."

"No, it's fine." Homare flashed a somewhat strained smile. "...I know you're worried...I know you just want the best for me and the others."

"...Yeah, I am worried about you. Any way I can help?"

"Haah...can you distract me until the meds kick in?"

Harry nodded. "Can do." After a brief moment of thought, Harry continued. "You seem to be really fashion-conscious. Ever thought about designing?"

Homare lifted her head from her knees and turned to face Harry. "Designing...? Well, I do have some artistic ability, it could be worth a shot. I don't have a lot of spare time, but it might as well go to something creative."

"You draw?"

"Haha, not much. Like I said, I barely have any spare time. If I had my sketchbook with me, I'd show you." She smiled again, but more genuinely this time. "I don't do anything special...just self-portraits, really."

Harry chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Pretty damn good subject, if you ask me."

The compliment was like a hammer blow to Homare's gut. Her heart plummeted like a brick through panes of glass, landing somewhere in the vicinity of her feet. It _hurt_. Every compliment, every sweet word, everything nice he ever said to her...it was like someone was twisting a knife into her chest every time. And every time... _those_ marks on her wrist throbbed and itched...

Harry, not being dense as a rock, could tell pretty easily that something was up. "...Hey. You okay, Homare?"

"...I don't want to talk about it." Her voice was hard and cold like pavement slicked in ice, and the deep growl to the statement made it pretty clear that fact was non-negotiable.

The harshness of her tone gave Harry quite a bit of pause, unsure of whether or not to press something that was clearly so painful for her. In the end, though, he decided enough was enough. "...Homare. Talk to me. If something's got you hurting this bad and it's something I keep triggering, I need to know what it is so I can help, or at least stop triggering it..."

" ** _No._** " Homare buried her face into her knees and curled up as tight as she could, digging the nails of her left hand into the inside of her right wrist so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I said I don't want to!" Her voice, while strong, was choked with emotion, and her whole body had begun to tremble. "I'm fine..." She clenched her left hand harder around her right wrist, drawing blood with her dug-in fingernails.

"My ass you're fine. Homare, come on, at least loosen your grip...you're hurting yourself..." Harry scooted closer, reaching for her hands to try and get them apart. "Seriously, Homare, come on...what's got you hurting this bad...?"

" _ **Leave me alone**_." Homare growled through clenched teeth, trying to shy away from Harry's touch. "Don't _fucking_ touch me, mouse!"

"Okay, now I _know_ something's up. You've never sworn like that. Homare...for the sake of whatever gods are listening, don't close yourself off again...don't go back to how you were. Talk to me, dammit...I want to help you!"

" _ **Then help!**_ " The choked plea tore itself from her lips as a primal sob of _pain_. Harry could practically see the darkness swallowing Homare whole, and knew she'd soon be out of his reach for good. He knew that if he didn't act soon, this would destroy her.

He grabbed her head in his hands and forced her to look at him. "Homare, I can't help you if you don't let me in! I can't save you if you don't take my hand! So please, for the love of everything...just talk to me." Harry could feel tears rising, but he furiously held them back. _No_ , he thought. _I can't fall apart in front of her. I need to be here for her._

He didn't see anger in her eyes, not an ounce. He didn't even see sadness, not really. Homare's eyes were full of pain and a desperate cry for help. Hot, bitter tears spilled forth from her golden eyes and rolled down her cheeks as her grip slackened and more sobs began to wrack her body. "...H-Harry...I..."

"...It's okay to admit you need help, Homare. It's okay. Let's take care of your arm first, okay? Show it to me." Harry took the first aid kit from the table and popped it open.

Homare tried hard to stifle her sobs and tears of shame as she held her bleeding arm out to Harry. _I can't wake Hugtan. I can't wake Hugtan. I can't make her cry. If I cry, she'll cry too. I can't take that._

Harry glanced up as he tended to Homare's arm, carefully cleaning and disinfecting it before applying gauze and wrapping it with a soft bandage. "...We can go outside, if you need to."

Unable to muster up any words, Homare just shakily nodded and stood up, letting Harry take her by the hand and lead her outside. As soon as the door was shut, she buried her face in his chest and just... _sobbed_. Tears flowed uncontrollably down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking with the heaving, primal wrenches of emotion wracking her body. Her hand gripped his shirt as if it was the only think keeping her tethered to reality as she knew it, as if she would drift away and be forgotten if she let him go.

Harry had nothing to say...and really, what _could_ one say in such a situation? He slowly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, as if to say "It's okay, you're safe with me." She felt so small and vulnerable in his arms, nothing like the proud, strong Homare behind Cure Etoile. She was just a girl now, one whose heart was in a lot of pain and wasn't sure how to deal with it.

After a long few minutes, Homare's sobs quieted and her tears ceased to flow. Her grip on Harry's shirt slowly slackened until she was simply resting her hand on his chest, and for a moment all she could do was simply stand there and take in the feeling of being embraced by him...by her Prince, the man she loved. She knew...she just _knew_ it couldn't last. After what felt like an eternity, her raw throat finally saw fit to make sound again. "...Harry..."

"Hm?" He looked down at her upon hearing his name. "What's up? Ready to talk?"

"Can...can you go inside and get me a jacket? I-It's...it's a little chilly out here." She blushed and turned her head to the side, mumbling the last bit.

Harry opened his mouth to ask what she meant by that, and then remembered the clothes she'd left behind in the changing booth. "...Right. Have a seat on the steps...I won't look, I promise." With a soft smile, he released her and went back inside.

Homare took a few deep breaths as she sat on the top step, crossing her arms over her chest and doing her best to compose herself. _This isn't how I wanted to confess at all...but...well, it's not like I have the luxury of choice now. He's not gonna let me go until I talk._

The door opened behind her, and a warm, familiar-smelling leather jacket was draped over her shoulders. "Yo. Sorry I took so long, I had to check on the kid."

"Yeah? How's she doing?" Homare pulled the jacket tighter around her, lightly sniffing at the collar. Rather than painful, the scent was somehow... _comforting_ now. A welcome change, as far as she was concerned.

"Still sleeping like...well, a baby." Harry chuckled and sat on the step next to Homare. "...All right, c'mon. Spill it. What's got you hurting so bad?"

She'd envisioned this moment several times...hell, she'd even practiced to her favorite bunny stuffie...but for some reason or another, none of it came to her now. Seeing Harry looking at her with such care, such affection...like she was the only thing in his world right now, and with the cool night breeze gently ruffling his hair against the backdrop of the starry sky...she just couldn't think of anything else. So...she didn't. She swallowed, she opened her mouth, and...

"I love you, Harry." Plain and simple, no grand reveal, no bells and whistles. Homare wasn't that kind of girl anyway. Just saying it, so simple and clean, lifted a massive weight from her shoulders. She felt like she could breathe again, even though she knew what was coming.

The smile slowly fell from Harry's face as he rested his chin in his palm. "...So that's it, huh?" He turned his gaze forward, clearly mulling over how to break the news to Homare. After a long moment of thinking, he began to open his mouth to deliver the news.

"I know, Harry."

Harry blinked in surprise and turned to her. "Eh?"

Homare gave him her best smile. It was pained, sure, but it was genuine and it was brilliant. "...Someone else has your heart, right? It's fine. I know. You don't have to tell me."

Harry's smile returned as he chuckled. "...What gave it away?"

Homare was quiet for a while as she thought of how to respond, eventually casting her eyes to the starry sky. "...Harry...when I said I didn't remember any of what happened inside of the Wild Oshimaida last week...that's not true."

Harry blinked. "Then why did you...?"

"When we were inside it in the virtual world Bishin created...it was like I was living out the Little Mermaid. Have you read that story, Harry?"

Harry scratched his head, thinking. "Mm, maybe once or twice."

"A mermaid princess saves a prince from drowning and falls deeply in love with him, so much so that she will do anything to turn human and be with him. She finds a way, but with one condition: if she cannot win the prince's heart, she will fall into the sea and turn to foam. In the end...it is revealed that the prince had another sweetheart all along, and the princess falls into the sea and turns to foam." She paused for a moment, breathing deep to compose herself. "I was the princess...and you, Harry, were the prince."

It took a few seconds for the implications of this to soak in...and surprisingly, Harry remained surprisingly calm. "...So you knew, huh? To carry all that pain around in secret...you're strong, Homare." Harry put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "...Why didn't you say anything?"

Homare flashed him a clearly pained smile. Her voice was very small now, weak and wavering like grass before a strong wind. "...It wasn't fair of me to learn that way. I thought if I pretended I didn't know...it wouldn't hurt as much. It was something I should have learned from you personally, not from some freak accident like I did."

Harry was quiet for what, to Homare, seemed like eternity before responding. "...That's really brave of you, Homare. Brave and selfless."

Homare's voice quivered more as tears welled up in her eyes. "...There's a fine line between brave and stupid, and I don't know which side I'm on."

"Heh, I know that feeling all too well." Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "...I've been struggling with my feelings, too. There's no guarantee the future I take her back to will be the same one we left...no guarantee she'll be the same girl." Harry joined Homare in looking up at the sky. "No guarantee she'll be the same girl who captured my heart. And hell, I'm not even sure she knew I liked her in the first place." Harry sighed. "...You saw her, right?"

Homare shrugged. "Her face was veiled. I couldn't really see anything but her silhouette."

"Hah...of course. Homare...that girl is Hugtan in the future."

"...I can't say I'm too surprised with how much you dote on her. I've suspected more than once that she's your actual daughter."

"Hey, c'mon, I'm not _that_ old." Harry playfully punched Homare's shoulder. "...But at this point, I've caught myself thinking of her that way. Raising her like this, watching her grow...it's really given me a new perspective. Even if we go back and everything is exactly the same...my memories won't be. Can I still love her after all this? I don't know, and it kinda drives me crazy." Harry sighed and tousled Homare's hair. "Sorry, I'm rambling, I know..."

Homare managed to regain her composure as Harry ruffled her hair. "H-hey, I work hard on that, y'know~" She managed a small but genuine chuckle. "...I get it, though. It's hard not to worry about the future, especially in your situation. Everyone has their doubts, their fears, things that keep them up at night." She rested her head on Harry's shoulder and watched a shooting star fly past. "...But if being with you...no, being with everyone else has taught me anything...it's that you shouldn't count the days. You should make the days count."

"...Hmm? Whaddya mean by that?"

"The future's not set in stone, and the more time we spend worrying about it the less time we have to enjoy the incredible experiences waiting for us in the here and now. Morbid as it might sound, tomorrow isn't guaranteed. Every day is a gift, and simply living is worth celebrating to the fullest extent."

Once again, Harry was quiet for a long moment before shifting position to lay back and look at the stars, taking the slightly surprised Homare down with him. "Someone back home in the future once told me that life has more possibilities than there are stars in the sky. Everything that happens, big or small, could have a huge impact on the future. But...some possibilities are worth pursuing just for that...the prospect of a huge impact on the future."

Maybe it was Homare's imagination, but she could have sworn Harry's grip had become a little tighter as he said that last bit. "Y-Yeah...? Can't really argue with that, huh? Heh..." Homare's pained smile returned as she averted her eyes. "Something tells me the possibility of __us__ isn't one of those…"

"No, Homare. You're wrong." Harry smiled down at her and ruffled her hair again. "...That's the exact kind of possibility I'm talking about."

Homare's heart jumped up into her throat and began pounding so hard and fast it felt like a jackhammer on her trachea. Her face abruptly flushed, feeling so hot as she buried it in her hands that it almost hurt. Was this real? Or was she just having some cruel fever dream? Whatever it was, she didn't care. For a long time, Homare just couldn't respond. She couldn't find the words to express how she was feeling for the longest time, and eventually could only sputter out one word: "Really...?"

"Haha...yeah, really. Homare, you're honestly amazing. You're beautiful, brilliant, and stronger than words can do justice. You've soldiered on through things that would crush the hearts and souls of lesser people. You're a fighter, Homare, and I admire that. Even facing down certain defeat or rejection, you face it with your head held high and your chin up, and no matter what knocks you down you always get back up. That takes a special kind of strength that only a special kind of girl could have. Any girl like that is worth me giving a shot. Besides...who wouldn't love you after seeing that beautiful light you're carrying in here?" Harry turned to face her and tapped her chest.

"H-Hey, w-watch those hands, hamster~" Homare regained her composure enough to crack a bit of a grin at Harry. "Don't make me call the cops~"

"Whoa, you didn't call me a mouse for once, what a surprise~ Looks like little Homare's a big softy after all~" Harry returned her grin. "...C'mon, let's get inside. I don't want you catching a cold out here."

Homare opened her mouth to playfully threaten to punch him, but the words sort of just...died in her throat, giving way to a sweet, warm smile and eyes full of pure _joy_. "...Yeah. All right."

"All right, let me just..." Harry shifted to an upright position, keeping his left arm around her shoulders while tucking the right under her legs and smoothly lifting her up into a bridal carry as he stood, which understandably caused her face to light up bright red like a tomato. "Haah, there...you're a bit heavier than I thought you would be~"

Homare's blush immediately gave way to a comical expression of annoyance, complete with a pulsing vein in her forehead. "You better watch it or I'll clock you, mouse."

Harry laughed as he opened the door to the shop and carried Homare inside. "Man, I'm back to being a mouse already~? So cruel, so cruel."

"Yeah, yeah..." As the warmth of the shop enveloped her once more, Homare felt the pleasant, tingling numbness of tiredness creep up on her. She stifled a yawn and looked up at Harry...her one and only Prince. "I don't know about you, but all those emotions made me pretty tired..."

"I bet, with that meltdown you had. Want me to put you to bed?"

"Heh...I'm not a kid, yanno. But...that sounds nice."

Harry carried her over to the array of futons, all once again nicely personalized with sheets, pillows, and blankets for each of the five girls. "Well, I guess since it's just you, pick whichever futon you want."

Homare looked down at the futons, her drowsy eyes scanning over the blankets. "...I'll take the one you made for me, thank you very much~"

"A wise choice, dear~" Homare's heart skipped a beat at that as Harry carefully laid her on the futon. "I'll let you situate yourself...ah, you need your bunny to sleep, don't you? Hold on, I'll go get it."

Before he could do so, though, Homare reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "...H-Hold on. I...I can probably go without the stuffie...a-as long as I...um...as long as you..." Her blush and averted eyes told the whole story.

"...I get it. All right, sure. We can sleep together." Harry smiled warmly at her and tousled her hair before taking his jacket off her shoulders and hanging it on a nearby chair. "All right, then, scoot over. Make room."

Homare shuffled over a bit before climbing under the covers, snuggling up to Harry's chest as he joined her. _This scent...this warmth...this closeness...this is all I've ever wanted. ...Well..._ "...Harry?"

"What's up? Bathroom?"

"N-No, it's not that...j-just...um...c-can I have a goodnight kiss?"

"Ahaha...mm, you're such a needy girl, aren't you? Fine, fine." For a few brief seconds, their lips met. Only a few seconds, but every one of those few seconds felt like an eternity. They were _connected_ at last...heart to heart, and it felt... _good_. After those precious few seconds, Harry broke the kiss. "Will that do?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, that'll do. Good night, Harry." Homare closed her eyes, nuzzling a little closer to Harry as she quickly fell asleep.

Harry simply stroked her hair a few times, smiling softly to himself. "...You're truly dazzling, Homare. Absolutely magnificent. I'm glad I met you." And with that, Harry began to drift off to sleep himself.

 

 

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Like what you see? Follow me on Twitter @hibikanas (https://twitter.com/hibikanas), support me on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/carywilson), and leave your comments and kudos below! Thank you for reading!


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